Thought leadership that gets cited in Congress.

How we built an interactive report combining proprietary data, customer stories, and expert perspectives — earning media coverage for three consecutive years and a place in a congressional session.

In 2019, Sweden's rapid move toward a cashless economy was generating headlines, and journalists were asking whether the United States was heading in the same direction. As a payments company, Square was well-positioned to answer the question — but the honest answer was more complicated than either "yes" or "no."

Making Change: Payments, Perspectives, and Politics was built around that complexity. Instead of publishing a straightforward position piece, we created an interactive report that combined Square's proprietary transaction data with customer stories, business and consumer surveys, and perspectives from academics, policy experts, and elected officials.

THE CHALLENGE: The cashless debate was politically and economically charged. Low-income consumers and underbanked communities rely disproportionately on cash — a reality that made the "going cashless" narrative more fraught than the tech press acknowledged. We needed to enter a polarised conversation with something that added real nuance, or risk being dismissed as just another company advocating for its own interests.

The content challenge was to build something authoritative enough to earn media coverage, honest enough to withstand scrutiny, and specific enough to position Square — not just as a payments processor, but as a genuine participant in the policy conversation.

THE APPROACH: We started with Square's transaction data, analysing the breakdown of cash versus card payments across the ecosystem. What we found — and what conversations with business owners confirmed — was a more textured story than the headline suggested. That nuance became the report's foundation.

The interactive format allowed readers to explore the data their own way, with customer stories and expert commentary providing context throughout. We pitched the report to media outlets and distributed it across owned channels. A partnership with Vox extended reach to a policy-literate readership.

The report resonated well enough that we published new editions in 2020 and 2021, extending its relevance through a period when the cash debate became newly urgent during COVID.

THE RESULTS:

• Generated significant earned media coverage at launch

• Referenced during a congressional session — establishing Square as a credible voice in payments policy

• Campaign extended across three consecutive years with updated editions in 2020 and 2021

PROJECT DETAILS

Brand: Square

Format: Interactive thought leadership report, multi-year campaign

Partners: Vox (distribution)

Years: 2019, 2020, 2021

Link: 'Making Change: Payments, Perspectives, and Politics